Tuesday, February 28, 2012
So Behind...
I'm sorry guys. I fell behind posting in the blog project. I was on an emotional rollercoaster and when I was at my high points and would try to type something the words didn't want to come out. I think also part of it was the weekly email that gets sent out for it. It's supposed to give the Pagan ideas for topics. But how is someone supposed to blog on a topic that doesn't relate to their path? Besides the gods and goddesses the topics are more for basic Wicca-flavored ENP. Last I looked I'm not a Wicca-flavored ENP. It's nothing against Wicca. It just doesn't fit. I mean yeah it'd be hard to send out an email with something from every single path. But why act like everyone's the same? I know a number of Pagans that get annoyed at being clumped together with Christians. But it seems like some of those Pagans are grouping all Pagans into Wicca-flavored ENP. Plus I think I'd get yelled at if I tired to place Djehuty and Nebet Het in a Wiccan ritual. I think Set would be a little mad too. And I'm trying to get on His good side. Not piss Him off. Plus there are other reasons why it wouldn't work even when I form a better relationship with Set and try to place Set and Nebet Het in the rituals. I might get into that in a different blog. "Kemetic Couples and Why They Won't Work in Wiccan Rituals" I think that would actually be interesting. What about you guys?
Friday, February 10, 2012
C is for Cosmogony
This blog will be a bit easier this week. I decided to do a post on some of the Kemetic creation myths. There are different versions of the creation myth depending on the city and who the pharaoh was. Some of the more well known Kemetic creation myths are from Heliopolis, Memphis, Hermopolis, and Thebes.
[i]The System of Heliopolis[/i]
Atum(some say it was Ra) appeared from nun and with his hand took his seed into his mouth and then spit out Shu and Tefnut. Then from Shu and Tefnut came Geb and Nut.
Now I have read in a couple places that Nut and Geb made Ra and that Nut was supposedly "married" to Ra after She had Him but still loved Geb. That caused Ra to become angry and forbid Nut from having children during any day of the year. After hearing that Djehuty(some said it was Nut Herself) played draughts with the moon to win 70 seconds from each day to create 5 new days so Nut could give birth to Asar, Aset, Set, Nebet Het, and Heru Ur.
Then the story of Set murdering Asar takes place and Aset gives birth to Heru.
There are two different versions of the Ennead of Heliopolis:
Atum/Ra-Atum
Shu - Tefnut
Geb - Nut
Asar, Aset, Set, Nebet Het, Heru Ur
Other versions replace Heru Ur with Heru, sa Aset.
[i]The Gods of Memphis[/i]
Ptah - Creator and supreme lord
Nefertem - the Primeval Lotus
Sekhmet - the Terrible Lioness
Sokar - the God of the Dead
[i]The Gods of Hermopolis[/i]
There are actually several variations of the creation myth in Hermopolis. One version says that the four divine couples-Nun and Naunet, Amun and Amaunet, Huh and Hauhet, Kuk and Kauket(the Ogdoad of Hermopolis) that represented the basic negative characteristics of the primeval waters, came together to create the world but eventually died off. But from the duat they still make the world run.
Another version is that the "Great Cackler", the celestial goose, laid the Cosmic Egg that the world was hatched from.
A different version of this said the Cosmic Egg was laid by an ibis which lead people to believe Djehuty created the world since one of His forms is the ibis-headed God and He also had been connected to the Ogdoad(some myths said the Ogdoad were the offspring of either Amun, Shu, or Djehuty).
[i]The Gods of Thebes[/i]
Amun - "the Invisible One" - created by the spirits of Hermopolis and the sun God Ra at the same time
Mut - Amun's consort
Khonsu - the moon child of Amun and Mut
Source: Myth and Symbol in Ancient Egypt by R.T. Rundle Clark
Egyptian Myth: A Very Short Introduction by Geraldine Pinch
[i]The System of Heliopolis[/i]
Atum(some say it was Ra) appeared from nun and with his hand took his seed into his mouth and then spit out Shu and Tefnut. Then from Shu and Tefnut came Geb and Nut.
Now I have read in a couple places that Nut and Geb made Ra and that Nut was supposedly "married" to Ra after She had Him but still loved Geb. That caused Ra to become angry and forbid Nut from having children during any day of the year. After hearing that Djehuty(some said it was Nut Herself) played draughts with the moon to win 70 seconds from each day to create 5 new days so Nut could give birth to Asar, Aset, Set, Nebet Het, and Heru Ur.
Then the story of Set murdering Asar takes place and Aset gives birth to Heru.
There are two different versions of the Ennead of Heliopolis:
Atum/Ra-Atum
Shu - Tefnut
Geb - Nut
Asar, Aset, Set, Nebet Het, Heru Ur
Other versions replace Heru Ur with Heru, sa Aset.
[i]The Gods of Memphis[/i]
Ptah - Creator and supreme lord
Nefertem - the Primeval Lotus
Sekhmet - the Terrible Lioness
Sokar - the God of the Dead
[i]The Gods of Hermopolis[/i]
There are actually several variations of the creation myth in Hermopolis. One version says that the four divine couples-Nun and Naunet, Amun and Amaunet, Huh and Hauhet, Kuk and Kauket(the Ogdoad of Hermopolis) that represented the basic negative characteristics of the primeval waters, came together to create the world but eventually died off. But from the duat they still make the world run.
Another version is that the "Great Cackler", the celestial goose, laid the Cosmic Egg that the world was hatched from.
A different version of this said the Cosmic Egg was laid by an ibis which lead people to believe Djehuty created the world since one of His forms is the ibis-headed God and He also had been connected to the Ogdoad(some myths said the Ogdoad were the offspring of either Amun, Shu, or Djehuty).
[i]The Gods of Thebes[/i]
Amun - "the Invisible One" - created by the spirits of Hermopolis and the sun God Ra at the same time
Mut - Amun's consort
Khonsu - the moon child of Amun and Mut
Source: Myth and Symbol in Ancient Egypt by R.T. Rundle Clark
Egyptian Myth: A Very Short Introduction by Geraldine Pinch
Thursday, February 9, 2012
C is for Communication
Hey look! I'm all caught up! Well sort of. Computer issues have made it so I couldn't post on Friday.
Today's blog is about communication. Communication is important to everyone. Regardless of path. And also regardless of who you're communitcating with. The everyday person communicates in some way to everyone they interact with. Whether it be through actual speech or through their actions.
Communication through the Internet is a little harder though. You don't know what the persons' tone of voice is or see what their body language is. Wording can help try to get across what a person is saying. Also how you type can be taken into account of how you come across to others. But the underlying problem with all forms of communication is interpretation. A person can say one thing while the other person thinks they mean something completely different by it. I mostly deal with it online. Go figure. A lot of it will be that someone will say something and the other person will take it as an attack. I started a guild on Gaiaonline. I figured it might be a great place for people to get together and learn about Egyptian mythology and the modern religions that come from it. While I was setting it up I was completely forgetting about Tameran "Wicca" until I had a user submit a request saying that she was one. Knowing it would cause an arguement if I just let it go, I tried to lay down was is and isn't Wiccan in one thread and start a discussion on Tameran Witchcraft in another. The user took this as an attack on her religion, like I was saying it was completely bogus. In reality, I was trying to only point out that while its still a valid path, the name is inaccurate. I'll save the discussion on what is and isn't Wiccan for another time. This is about communication. Not Wicca.
Then you have communication in your path. Its still very, very, VERY important. And one has to remember that its a two way street. You have to listen and be open. But not too open to where you'll believe anything and everything. The phrase "If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything." comes to mind when I think about that (leading to me thinking about Sucker Punch and then House every time I say it like that). I actually have a bit of a somewhat perfect example. I had some stuff going on in my personal life. I would ask Djehuty and Nebet Het to help and guide me. One night, when I was talking to Djehuty and He told me to talk to Set. I didn't exactly listen. Then for a while after that I wouldn't hear from Nebet Het at all. I'm still working on patching things up with Her. So we'll see how that goes.
Senebty
Today's blog is about communication. Communication is important to everyone. Regardless of path. And also regardless of who you're communitcating with. The everyday person communicates in some way to everyone they interact with. Whether it be through actual speech or through their actions.
Communication through the Internet is a little harder though. You don't know what the persons' tone of voice is or see what their body language is. Wording can help try to get across what a person is saying. Also how you type can be taken into account of how you come across to others. But the underlying problem with all forms of communication is interpretation. A person can say one thing while the other person thinks they mean something completely different by it. I mostly deal with it online. Go figure. A lot of it will be that someone will say something and the other person will take it as an attack. I started a guild on Gaiaonline. I figured it might be a great place for people to get together and learn about Egyptian mythology and the modern religions that come from it. While I was setting it up I was completely forgetting about Tameran "Wicca" until I had a user submit a request saying that she was one. Knowing it would cause an arguement if I just let it go, I tried to lay down was is and isn't Wiccan in one thread and start a discussion on Tameran Witchcraft in another. The user took this as an attack on her religion, like I was saying it was completely bogus. In reality, I was trying to only point out that while its still a valid path, the name is inaccurate. I'll save the discussion on what is and isn't Wiccan for another time. This is about communication. Not Wicca.
Then you have communication in your path. Its still very, very, VERY important. And one has to remember that its a two way street. You have to listen and be open. But not too open to where you'll believe anything and everything. The phrase "If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything." comes to mind when I think about that (leading to me thinking about Sucker Punch and then House every time I say it like that). I actually have a bit of a somewhat perfect example. I had some stuff going on in my personal life. I would ask Djehuty and Nebet Het to help and guide me. One night, when I was talking to Djehuty and He told me to talk to Set. I didn't exactly listen. Then for a while after that I wouldn't hear from Nebet Het at all. I'm still working on patching things up with Her. So we'll see how that goes.
Senebty
Thursday, February 2, 2012
B is for Benu
Day 4 of playing catch up. I've decided to do this blog on the benu.
People have equated the benu to the Greek phoenix. They were both linked to the sun and rebirth, but those were the only things they had in common. In the Old Kingdom the benu symbolized the sun god Atum, but then in the Middle Kingdom it was called the Ba of Ra. Then in the New Kingdom, it became associated with the heron and ressurection leading to its association with Asar.
Sorry for it being so short guys. I might post a better one later on.
Source: Philae.nu
People have equated the benu to the Greek phoenix. They were both linked to the sun and rebirth, but those were the only things they had in common. In the Old Kingdom the benu symbolized the sun god Atum, but then in the Middle Kingdom it was called the Ba of Ra. Then in the New Kingdom, it became associated with the heron and ressurection leading to its association with Asar.
Sorry for it being so short guys. I might post a better one later on.
Source: Philae.nu
B is for Bast
Day 3 of playing catch up. I'm kinda doing these in alphabetical order. I had first had the idea to make this post about the benu bird, but then my other B blog post was going to obviously be Bast. Well Bast would come first in the alphabet so I guess this goddess will come first.
Bast, one of the number of feline deities in Egypt, has been around since at least the Second Dynasty. Most people know Her as being depicted as a house cat or being the goddess of domesticated cats. But that didn't come around until thousands of years after the Egyptians started worshipping Her. Her earlier depictions are that of a women with either a lion or desert cat head.
Because of the foreign influance during the New Kingdom, people started leaving off the "-t" at the end of words when they talked. So to try to stop that from happening scribes started adding an extra "-t" on the end of words. This is where the name Bastet comes from. It was the scribes trying to tell the people that its "Bast" and not "Bas".
Bast started out as a protector of the king and was one of the goddesses that held the title of "Eye of Ra". Later her image started softening and she became known as the protector of children and pregnant women and She became associated with Het Hert, Mut, and Aset. She also started becoming invoked to bestow fertility making Her even more associated with Het Hert. Because of Her close relationship with Her, Bast started picking up some of Het Hert's associations, such as music and art. Another one of Bast's associations was with perfume.
Now notice how I didn't say she was a lunar goddess? That's because that association came about after the Greeks came to Egypt and associated Bast with Artemis. When the Greeks started associating Egyptian deities with their own many of the deities it started giving the Egyptian deities relations that They didn't have before. As such, Bast became Aset's daughter and Heru's twin sister.
I think there was more I wanted to say. But system files got corrupted on my computer. Thats the reason I'm getting this after midnight. I'll post Day 4 of catch up between classes when I have my friend's laptop.
Source: Per Bast
Bast, one of the number of feline deities in Egypt, has been around since at least the Second Dynasty. Most people know Her as being depicted as a house cat or being the goddess of domesticated cats. But that didn't come around until thousands of years after the Egyptians started worshipping Her. Her earlier depictions are that of a women with either a lion or desert cat head.
Because of the foreign influance during the New Kingdom, people started leaving off the "-t" at the end of words when they talked. So to try to stop that from happening scribes started adding an extra "-t" on the end of words. This is where the name Bastet comes from. It was the scribes trying to tell the people that its "Bast" and not "Bas".
Bast started out as a protector of the king and was one of the goddesses that held the title of "Eye of Ra". Later her image started softening and she became known as the protector of children and pregnant women and She became associated with Het Hert, Mut, and Aset. She also started becoming invoked to bestow fertility making Her even more associated with Het Hert. Because of Her close relationship with Her, Bast started picking up some of Het Hert's associations, such as music and art. Another one of Bast's associations was with perfume.
Now notice how I didn't say she was a lunar goddess? That's because that association came about after the Greeks came to Egypt and associated Bast with Artemis. When the Greeks started associating Egyptian deities with their own many of the deities it started giving the Egyptian deities relations that They didn't have before. As such, Bast became Aset's daughter and Heru's twin sister.
I think there was more I wanted to say. But system files got corrupted on my computer. Thats the reason I'm getting this after midnight. I'll post Day 4 of catch up between classes when I have my friend's laptop.
Source: Per Bast
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
A is for Anpu
Day 2 of playing catchup. I decided my second A should be about the god Anpu. While I don't have a relationship with Him, yet (if it will ever happen), I figured I'd share some information about this wonderful god. Plus I talk to a women that has a direct interest in Him and another that had an interest in mummies. So I figured what's the harm in getting information that they might not have on Him.
Anpu, more commonly known as Anubis, is the guardian and protector of the dead. Before Asar started gaining popularity, Anpu had also been god of the underworld but then was limited to the embalming process and funeral rites. When the Ogdoad of Hermopolis and the Ennead of Heliopolis merged, Asar had more popularity and was stronger than Anpu which resulted in Asar being the king of the underworld. It was said however, for Anpu to save face that He willing stepped down when Asar died out of respect for the dead king. Some myths said that Anpu was the son of Asar and Nebet Het (who was also involved with funeral rites) so He was still associated with the Weighting of the Heart but as a guardian instead of a ruler.
Eventually, Anpu also became the patron of lost souls and funeral rites. In this aspect, He overlapped Wepwawet, who was another jackal god. After that, Anpu absorbed Wepwawet and people started seeing Them as one in the same.
Anpu had a few different sets of parents throughout the history of Egypt. The first was thought to be Ra and Hesat. Then later, some myths would say that Asar and Nebet Het, Set and Nebet Het, and even Asar and Aset. Some even said that Anpu was Bast's son because of her association with the perfumed used in the mummification process.
In the Seventeenth Nome of Upper Egypt, there was mention of a wife named Anput. She and Anpu were said to be the parents of Kebechet, goddess of purification.
Source: Kemet.org
Ancient Egypt Online
Anpu, more commonly known as Anubis, is the guardian and protector of the dead. Before Asar started gaining popularity, Anpu had also been god of the underworld but then was limited to the embalming process and funeral rites. When the Ogdoad of Hermopolis and the Ennead of Heliopolis merged, Asar had more popularity and was stronger than Anpu which resulted in Asar being the king of the underworld. It was said however, for Anpu to save face that He willing stepped down when Asar died out of respect for the dead king. Some myths said that Anpu was the son of Asar and Nebet Het (who was also involved with funeral rites) so He was still associated with the Weighting of the Heart but as a guardian instead of a ruler.
Eventually, Anpu also became the patron of lost souls and funeral rites. In this aspect, He overlapped Wepwawet, who was another jackal god. After that, Anpu absorbed Wepwawet and people started seeing Them as one in the same.
Anpu had a few different sets of parents throughout the history of Egypt. The first was thought to be Ra and Hesat. Then later, some myths would say that Asar and Nebet Het, Set and Nebet Het, and even Asar and Aset. Some even said that Anpu was Bast's son because of her association with the perfumed used in the mummification process.
In the Seventeenth Nome of Upper Egypt, there was mention of a wife named Anput. She and Anpu were said to be the parents of Kebechet, goddess of purification.
Source: Kemet.org
Ancient Egypt Online
Monday, January 30, 2012
A is for Altar
So one of the women I talk to online shared a link to this blog project, called Pagan Blog Project 2012. Reading it over I figured why not. It'll give me ideas for blogs to post and make me a bit more active, seeing as I haven't posted anything in 2 months. Normally these are supposed to be posted on Friday, but I figured why not play catch up? I mean this is week 5. So why not use today through Thursday to post the blogs I would have posted if I had signed up for this when it started? Plus I'd feel a bit weird just jumping in at C or starting at A and not being able to finish the alphabet without it leaking into 2013.
So I'll begin with my altar. Not a very exciting one. I'll try to have a better one for you tomorrow. I had some personal things go down between me picking the topic and me ending up changing it. I was going to do a blog on the afterlife, how the ancients viewed it and how I personally view it. But that'll be a blog for another day.
Since I'm having issues with getting pictures off of my iPod and onto my computer and I have no pictures of my altar since I moved it, you'll have to use your imagination as I describe it to you. So to start off my altar is set up on my book case. I thought it was a bit fitting since Djehuty is one of the gods I have a relationship with. Nebet Het didn't seem to mind either. I think She was actually kind of glad that I was able to make some space to move my altar so it wasn't so cramped.
Starting from the back I have the glass bottle that I use to offer drinks sitting in the middle. Then on my right is my Djehuty statue. When the flash drive I dedicated and offered to Djehuty isn't in my computer or I'm taking it to school it sits on the base of the statue at His feet. On my left of the bottle is the decorative candle holder that I offered to Nebet Het to represent Her. Its purple wax cylinder with a bit of flower patterns around it. Its hollow inside with metal along the base so a person could set a tea light candle inside without it melting the outside of it. Since I can't burn candles in the house, my mom doesn't trust me with them for some reason, I use battery candles. I haven't gotten any complaints yet so I'm taking that as a good sign that They don't mind me using them. In the back corners I placed pine cones that I picked up one day when my mom, sister, and I were out for a walk. I feel it kind of connects it to where I live.
All the way to my left in the front is a set of gold silverware to use when I finally get my hands on a dish that's suitable for food offerings. Next to the silverware, in front of Nebet Het's candle, are the gold bracelets that I offered to Her. Well more like I found them when I was going through some of my stuff and She told me She wanted them. Usually what's next to the bracelets is my Egyptian mythology book, but right now its with me since I was going to read a bit. Then on top the book, would be my gold ankh and the silver ibis necklace I offered to Djehuty. Next to the book rests a black beaded necklace that has a black and silver heart. I wear that necklace when I'm going somewhere that isn't school. When I go to school, I wear the ibis necklace. Next to that necklace is a pen and pencil that I offered to Djehuty and haven't needed for school yet. The ones I offered and are using stay with my school stuff.
And that's all that I have on my altar so far. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have a more exciting blog for you guys.
Senebty
So I'll begin with my altar. Not a very exciting one. I'll try to have a better one for you tomorrow. I had some personal things go down between me picking the topic and me ending up changing it. I was going to do a blog on the afterlife, how the ancients viewed it and how I personally view it. But that'll be a blog for another day.
Since I'm having issues with getting pictures off of my iPod and onto my computer and I have no pictures of my altar since I moved it, you'll have to use your imagination as I describe it to you. So to start off my altar is set up on my book case. I thought it was a bit fitting since Djehuty is one of the gods I have a relationship with. Nebet Het didn't seem to mind either. I think She was actually kind of glad that I was able to make some space to move my altar so it wasn't so cramped.
Starting from the back I have the glass bottle that I use to offer drinks sitting in the middle. Then on my right is my Djehuty statue. When the flash drive I dedicated and offered to Djehuty isn't in my computer or I'm taking it to school it sits on the base of the statue at His feet. On my left of the bottle is the decorative candle holder that I offered to Nebet Het to represent Her. Its purple wax cylinder with a bit of flower patterns around it. Its hollow inside with metal along the base so a person could set a tea light candle inside without it melting the outside of it. Since I can't burn candles in the house, my mom doesn't trust me with them for some reason, I use battery candles. I haven't gotten any complaints yet so I'm taking that as a good sign that They don't mind me using them. In the back corners I placed pine cones that I picked up one day when my mom, sister, and I were out for a walk. I feel it kind of connects it to where I live.
All the way to my left in the front is a set of gold silverware to use when I finally get my hands on a dish that's suitable for food offerings. Next to the silverware, in front of Nebet Het's candle, are the gold bracelets that I offered to Her. Well more like I found them when I was going through some of my stuff and She told me She wanted them. Usually what's next to the bracelets is my Egyptian mythology book, but right now its with me since I was going to read a bit. Then on top the book, would be my gold ankh and the silver ibis necklace I offered to Djehuty. Next to the book rests a black beaded necklace that has a black and silver heart. I wear that necklace when I'm going somewhere that isn't school. When I go to school, I wear the ibis necklace. Next to that necklace is a pen and pencil that I offered to Djehuty and haven't needed for school yet. The ones I offered and are using stay with my school stuff.
And that's all that I have on my altar so far. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have a more exciting blog for you guys.
Senebty
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